Honoring the readers

Venting about sports teams can serve as tremendous therapy, and one great longtime reader and his wife Nelta have benefited a bit from watching their Astros this season.

Joe Sandel, a loyal constructive critic of our coverage, sent the most heart-warming e-mail the other day to inform that his wife is “nearing the final few weeks of chemotherapy and holding up well.”

Obviously chemotherapy is the most important aspect in the Sandels’ lives these days. Watching and critiquing the Astros while pining for Chris Burke to play daily has helped, he said.

“She eats ice cream every night to keep her weight up and I must join her so she is not alone,” he said. “With the help of your baseball writing and Blue Bell, I think we will make it.”

One of the benefits of doing book signings for Houston Astros Armed and Dangerous is meeting longtime Chronicle readers such as Chris J. Ronquillo, his wife and son Jordan, a solid young shortstop.

Milo Hamilton and I did a signing together. Unfortunately some people had to leave before Milo arrived, but they were kind enough to let me sign their books before they rushed to their appointment. Milo was a hit with his tremendous stories. According to Ronquillo, I held my own. Really, though, the treat was for me.

Agent in town:

Prominent New York attorney Jeff Klein, who also serves as former Astros slugger Jeff Kent’s agent, will be at Minute Maid Park Monday to watch the Astros play Kent’s Los Angeles Dodgers.

Klein will entertain several important Houston clients at a suite during the game Monday night.

Speaking of Kent, Klein got him an impressive contract extension earlier this month, keeping the All-Star second baseman in a Dodgers uniform through the 2007 season.

Did you know that Kent was born in the same hospital in Bellflower, Calif., as my four youngest siblings?

Did you know? Speaking of, “Did you know?” I should have put “third baseman” in the “Did you know?” that ran on chron.com’s Astros notes Sunday morning regarding Morgan Ensberg’s franchise record for consecutive games with home runs.

The note should have read: According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Morgan Ensberg is the first major-league third baseman to homer in six consecutive games since Craig Nettles accomplished the feat for the 1984 San Diego Padres. Ensberg set the franchise record for consecutive games with a home run when he extended the streak to six games on Friday. The streak was snapped when Ensberg went homerless Saturday.

A special thanks goes to alert reader Kris Young, a youth pastor at Grace Church, who noticed that we didn’t qualify the player’s position.

Here’s a part of Young’s e-mail:

“For some reason I thought I remembered Don Mattingly hitting HR’s in like 7 or 8 straight games. I can’t remember what year it was but it had to be 1987 or 1988. … well after doing some research I see that Mattingly hit HR’s in 8 straight games (10 HR’s) from July 8 – July 18. The All-Star Break was in there but still, 10 HR’s in 8 games and hitting a HR in 8 straight… How awesome is that.

Anyway I just wanted to let you know.

Thanks for your superb writing, you are a blessing.

Kris Young

Slugging sub: Astros manager Phil Garner has found it difficult to get playing time for slugging sub Chris Burke.

Burke was in the lineup in left field Sunday afternoon as Garner gave the struggling Preston Wilson the day off against the Pirates.

Wilson is hitting .212 with a team-high 22 strikeouts, four home runs and eight RBIs. Garner promises to have the slugger back in the lineup Monday against the Dodgers. Garner says he’d like to rest Wilson on day games after night games, but he also admitted that if Wilson weren’t struggling he might have played him Sunday.